Purdue University to purchase apartments along Indianapolis canal, part of expansion effort in the city

Purdue University will purchase the Canal Square Apartments in downtown Indianapolis, part of the school's plan to expand its footprint in the city. 

Purdue said it hopes to grow the number of students within the city from roughly 2,600 to more than 10,000.

The Canal Square Apartments sit along the canal in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The four-story building currently holds almost 500 beds.

Derek Shultz is a spokesperson for Purdue in Indianapolis. He said the university will honor current leaseholders in the building, with no plans to deny renewals in the immediate future.

"This is a long-term play. So in the near term, not much is going to change," Shultz said. "But eventually, this… we think will support Purdue students and working professionals and things like that here, in the city."

West Lafayette residents have long complained that Purdue has failed to create enough housing to accommodate the student population.

Shultz said the university is working to create housing opportunities within the city.

"The university is confident that it'll meet the residential needs of its students here near term and long term in Indy," he said. 

Purdue recently purchased other buildings in the city, including a property it turned into the downtown student center.

Contact Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org